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Golden Dawn rallies on Chios, Lesvos fuel concerns

Rallies scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday by the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party on the the eastern Aegean islands of Chios and Lesvos have placed local authorities on alert, fearing outbreaks of violence as counter-demonstrations are also expected to take place.

According to flyers distributed across both islands by party loyalists, the events will discuss Golden Dawn’s proposals on the refugee crisis.

The main speakers will be senior ranking party members Ilias Kasidiaris and Yiannis Lagos.

Police have beefed up security as the possibility of counter-demonstrations has raised concerns over the prospect of violent confrontations.

Extra police security will also be dispatched to the refugee camps on the islands.

Chios and Lesvos are among the five major islands in the eastern Aegean that have borne the brunt of the refugee crisis as they have served as a gateway for the flows from Turkey.